Schools
Documentary To Be Shown At Menlo-Atherton
A cross country coach with a debilitating disease and the runners he inspires.
By Stan Silverman
ALS Golden West Chapter
She’s a sophomore at Colgate University this fall and as junior at University High in San Francisco, Holland Reynolds captured the imagination of people everywhere for her courgeous finish to a high school cross country race.
Reynolds literally crawled, on hands and knees, across the finish line to help her coach, Jim Tracy, set a record for most state titles.
What adds to this poignant moment is that Tracy had just been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Reynolds collapsed from dehydration about 50 feet from the finish, and when she finally crossed the line, the team had won its eighth state title. The school has since won twice more.
A documentary of the 2010 season, Running for Jim, will be shown at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center on Sept. 12, 1t 7:15 p.m. and is presented by the ALS Association Golden West Chapter.
The film explores how Tracy, once a competitive runner, now faces the greatest challenge of his life and how he continues to inspire his athletes despite his grim diagnosis and deteriorating health.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the ALS Association Golden West Chapter to support ALS research and families in the Bay Area who are affected by ALS. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Jim Tracy Special Needs Trust.
As a freshman with the Raiders last fall, Reynolds finished 35th at the Patriot League Championships with a time of 24:39.4 and ran at the NCAA Northeast Region Cross Country Championships.
A news account of the event can be found here.
Tickets for the event can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets.
For information about the film, visit the website.
